Chandelier frames are generally constructed to support a plurality of ornaments in the form of crystals, cut glass and the like. A chandelier frame is usually constructed first, and then ornaments, which are formed separately, are later added to the finished frame. In this way, damage to the ornaments during shipping and installation of the chandelier is largely avoided.
Techniques for mounting ornaments upon chandelier frames have varied little over the years. Typically, the frame member of the chandelier includes a plurality of holes through which ornament shafts are placed. The shafts are bent at their unornamented free end, so as to provide a loop for engaging the chandelier frame. A long standing problem with this traditional form of attachment is that the ornaments are easily dislodged from the chandelier frame. Thus, in a chandelier which may have hundreds of hanging ornaments, it is nearly impossible to clean the chandelier without inadvertently dislodging ornaments.
Applicants' copending patent application Ser. No. 07/539,802 illustrates one attempt at solving the foregoing problem. That application discloses unigue, ornament shafts specially designed to prevent dislodgement of the ornaments. A drawback is that these ornament shaft designs are somewhat difficult to install on the chandelier, in that relatively complex movements are required to attach and detach the ornament from the frame member. This, of course, can be cumbersome in chandeliers having hundreds of delicate crystal ornaments that need to be mounted individually. Furthermore, the construction of such ornament shafts entails the formation of a complex, three-dimensional shape upon the end of the shaft, which shapes are more difficult and expensive to form than the two-dimensional shafts utilized with traditional ornament shaft designs. Finally, the frame members for such ornaments must be provided with precisely positioned holes for receiving the loop of the ornament shaft, which adds to the expense of the design and manufacture of the chandelier.